(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines approved Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s coronavirus vaccines for emergency use, ahead of the expected delivery of 600,000 doses.

The Chinese developer’s shots are effective to prevent Covid-19, Food and Drug Administration head Eric Domingo said. Sinovac isn’t recommended for health workers exposed to the virus due to its 50.4% efficacy for this group, he said.

The Southeast Asian nation is seeking 25 million doses from Sinovac this year to support its goal of inoculating up to 70% of its population in 2021.

Vaccines from Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and AstraZeneca Plc. have earlier been approved by Philippine regulators for limited use, with health workers as priority. The government said it has ordered enough shots for its 2021 vaccination program, which underpins the nation’s efforts to recover from last year’s record economic contraction.

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